Protection of the human ear from destructive influences such as loud noise, physical contact, and penetration by foreign substances, such as water and dirt, is an area which has only recently received the attention which it deserves. Because most ear injuries tend to detract from the enjoyment of life rather than cause extensive physical impairment, and because the causes of those ear injuries which normally do cause serious physical impairment were not known, historically little attention has been paid to protecting the ear. In recent years, however, considerable interest in ear protection has developed from a diverse range of sources. This interest has been brought about not only because of medical science's recognition that serious physical impairments can result from inner ear infections which in turn are sometimes caused by penetration of the ear by foreign material, but also due to more subtle influences in society. For example, people are no longer satisfied with the conclusion that disfigurements such as "cauliflower" ear are prices which participants in contact sports must pay, or that total or partial deafness are the price that workers in certain occupations must pay. This latter concept is most graphically expressed in the pioneering noise level standards set out by recent state and federal regulations concerning working conditions.
Because the various deleterious influences are normally not coexistent and because each one of them most commonly exists in a fairly specific environment, the development of protective devices for the various influences have developed more-or-less independently of one another. The first major category of ear protectors are ear plugs, which are small, resilient elements which are inserted directly into the ear canal. Ear plugs are primarily of value to keep foreign material (such as water or dust) out of the ears. If properly designed, they can also provide fairly effective protection against sound. The main advantages of ear plugs are that they are relatively inexpensive, that they are not cumbersome, and that they do not detract seriously from the appearance of the user. However, they can present sanitation problems, can be uncomfortable, and, because of their inconspicuousness, can cause some problems in the enforcement of their use.
The second major division of ear protectors are the yoke-type or earphone-type protectors. This type normally involves a pair of rigid cups each of which contains sound deadening material and is used in such a way as to surround the ear of the user. The cups are held in place by a U-shaped spring. The cups are connected to the ends of the spring and the bight of the spring or yoke passes over the top of the head of the user. The advantage of this system is that the device provides some protection to the outside of the ear, the device is relatively comfortable, and enforcement of use is relatively easy. The problems with this arrangement are that the device is easily displaced from the head and rendered inoperative, is relatively heavy and cumbersome, is relatively expensive, and does detract considerably from the appearance of the user.
The third basic type of ear protector is a helmet either of the soft or the hard variety. The soft helmet is normally made of flexible fabric and encloses the head of the user except for necessary openings. Normally, a resilient ring or pad is provided to surround or enclose the ears of the user. This type of arrangement is exemplified by the helmet used in wrestling or boxing. Although the main purpose in most applications is to protect the exterior of the ear from the type of contact which results in a "cauliflower" ear, enclosing pads also have the effect of attenuating noise and to some extent, excluding foreign material from the ear. Soft helmets are normally light in weight, and tend to stay in place, thus giving continuous protection to the user. On the other hand, they are normally expensive, uncomfortable to use, difficult to put on and take off, and have an ugly appearance. Hard helmets, which have a rigid shell enclosing the head of the user and a resilient inner layer to provide cushioning against the head, provide additional protection against physical contact, but are heavier and more awkward. These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art devices have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.
It is, therefore, an outstanding object of the invention to provide an ear protector which gives the ear suitable protection against physical contact, noise, and penetration by foreign matter.
Another object of this invention is the provision of an ear protector which is light in weight and is not cumbersome.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of an ear protector which minimizes its contact with the outside or inside of the ear both to increase comfort and reduce sanitary problems.
It is another object of the instant invention to provide an ear protector which is easy to put on and take off and yet is not easily, accidently displaced.
A still further object of the invention is the provision of an ear protector which minimizes detraction from the physical appearance of the user and yet is sufficiently conspicuous to allow easy enforcement of use.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an ear protector which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an ear protector which can be completely emersed in liquid and is capable of being completely sanitized.
Another object of the invention is the provision of an ear protector which is made almost entirely of flexible materials so that the protector can be stored in a small space and under no circumstances can produce sharp rigid projections.
With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.